Trump ends press conference after spat with Chinese-American reporter

US President Donald Trump abruptly ends his coronavirus press briefing after getting into a testy exchange with an Asian-American reporter.

CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang asked Trump why he continued to insist that the US was doing better than other countries when it came to testing for the virus.

“Why does that matter?” she asked. “Why is this a global competition when, every day, Americans are still losing their lives?”

“They’re losing their lives everywhere in the world,” Trump replied. “And maybe that’s a question you should ask China. Don’t ask me, ask China that question, OK?”

.@weijia: Why is this a global competition to you when Americans are losing their lives every day?

TRUMP: Maybe that's a question you should ask China.

WEIJA: Why are you saying that to me, specifically?

TRUMP: I'm saying it to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that. pic.twitter.com/hokJOXASh8

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 11, 2020

Jiang, who identifies herself in her Twitter bio as a “Chinese born West Virginian,” pushed back.

“Sir, why are you saying that to me specifically?” she said, implying it was due to her race.

“I’m saying it to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that,” Trump said.

He then attempted to move on to another reporter as Jiang continued to press him about his response.

Trump called on another female reporter but then immediately called on someone else. When the female reporter tried to ask her question, Trump abruptly ended the press conference and walked back into the White House.

— with AFP